Chinese – English
From: Raj
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2016 2:32 PM
Subject: Ray Comfort
Hi my name’s Raj, I’m a Christian from Cambridge England.
I’m trying to understand your critisisms towards Ray Comfort, in this article you wrote: https://www.thepathoftruth.com/false-teachers/ray-comfort.htm
Firstly what exactly are you critical of with Ray’s witnessing encounter? Is it that he said that “people that don’t accept God will go to hell” ?
You put the following statement in the first paragraph:
“You told him that God is going to send everyone that does not accept Him into a place of interminable torment.
That is one of the biggest lies ever told about God, if not the biggest, and certainly the most heinous.“
and then you go on to say: “And though you obviously think so, you will not find such a threat in the Bible anywhere“.
But the Bible does teach on people that don’t accept God through Christ going to Hell:
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.
Matthew 25:46 – “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
But to name a few scriptures, of course there’s a lot more.
I think you’ve completly misundertood Ray and gone on a massive unjustified rant about him, without truly understanding the Gospel.
A sinner cannot accept the good news of the Lord Jesus without first recieveing the bad news.
What kind of doctor would not mention the life threatening disease to the patient, but instead offer him the cure?
He would not be a good doctor.
Instead that doctor must spend time making the patient realize the seriousness of the threat that faces him. And when they patient truly comprehends it, then he will gladly want to repent and then turn to our Lord Jesus Christ.
John Wesley advised that “we should teach 90% law and 10% grace”.
And the Vicar Charles Simeon who lived here in my home town said:
“the object of any sermon or any teach should always be to Humble the sinner, exalt the savior and promote holiness”.
Further more in terms of your critique, have you got the footage of the video so others can see it?
It’s dissapointing that you’re clutching at straws with Ray, because he definetly is teaching and preaching the TRUE Gospel of Christ.
But that being said yes, we should examine all teachings just like the bereans examined the Paostle Paul’s (Acts 17:11).
Kind regards,
Raj
From: Paul Cohen and Victor Hafichuk
To: Raj
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2016 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: Ray Comfort
Hi Raj,
You agree with Ray Comfort, who says the Scriptures teach that God sends many of His creatures to a place of interminable torment after physical death, and you cite the following Scriptures as proof:
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
Nothing said here about a place of non-stop excruciating torture lasting time without end after one dies.
Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.
Ditto – nothing here.
Matthew 25:46 – “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Now this Scripture you’re misinterpreting. It’s not even talking about physical death. The Lord was speaking of coming in His glory and judging the nations on earth. The separation He spoke of takes place here, which, by faith, is what we who believe see happening. The sheep are separated from the goats in this life. Those who believe enter eternal life – here and now.
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 KJV).
Therefore, as His sheep enter eternal life by faith in this life, so there are goats entering “eternal punishment” through unbelief – in this transitory world.
Your problem is that you wrongly interpret the words rendered “eternal punishment” by doctrinaire translators. For a true understanding of these words, read The True, Scriptural Meanings of “Forever,” “Everlasting,” and “Hell”.
You’re confused by your indoctrination, Raj, which leads you to promote a perverse gospel with a false remedy for sinners:
“A sinner cannot accept the good news of the Lord Jesus without first recieveing the bad news.
“What kind of doctor would not mention the life threatening disease to the patient, but instead offer him the cure?
“He would not be a good doctor.”
The bad news is that the sinner is sick and has no hope of getting better, not that he’s a sinner who will roast in Hell forever. A doctor gives his patient a diagnosis of his condition, but in your example you have the doctor making a brutal threat. Instead of telling the patient about the sinful disposition of his corrupt heart, your doctor tells the patient he will die a thousand painful deaths – every day – unless he recites after him. It’s coercion by scare tactic, not a true repentance of sin by faith. It’s a “get-out-of-jail” free card, not an honest conversion.
“Instead that doctor must spend time making the patient realize the seriousness of the threat that faces him. And when they patient truly comprehends it, then he will gladly want to repent and then turn to our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Having a heart condition and being advised of its seriousness and the changes needed to be made isn’t the same at all as being told your house is going to burn down with you in it if you don’t “accept Jesus,” and He will make sure your body isn’t destroyed so you can suffer this fate over and over and over and over ad infinitum. Can you not see the difference?
The interview referred to at the beginning of the post was on TV, so we didn’t have a link available from the internet. There is a corroborating witness, however, in the quote provided from Ray’s website. Read the article again, Raj, along with the links given as support material. Also read Law and Grace.
The Lord never taught that sinners, even the most obstinate and self-righteous religious ones, wouldn’t be saved. Indeed, He taught the opposite:
Matthew 21:28-31 MKJV
(28) But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, Son, go work in my vineyard today.
(29) He answered and said, I will not. But afterwards he repented and went.
(30) And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and did not go.
(31) Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, The first. Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the tax-collectors and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.
That means the rest will enter, too. And just so you know, we love Ray Comfort, even in the flesh (not that it counts), but particularly in the Lord. We’d be pleased to have a good heart-to-heart talk with him, anywhere, any time.
Paul Cohen and Victor Hafichuk
www.ThePathofTruth.com